Indonesia 'must play leading global role'<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia must play a
\nleading role in world affairs and suggested it could start by
\nengaging East Asian and Pacific countries.<\/p>\n
\"Speaking about changes, people are usually faced with three
\noptions: whether we should be part of the change, follow the
\nchange or lead the change. Indonesia, God willing, surely cannot
\nonly be a follower in the changing world but, as former president
\nSukarno and others showed us, we should be able to lead on
\ncertain issues in international relations. This is our ultimate
\ngoal, and we can only achieve it if we are doing well at home,
\nsuch as creating good governance, so we can have strength,
\ncapacity and credibility to do more in world affairs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Susilo was speaking during a foreign policy breakfast -- a
\ngathering of the foreign minister, legislators, businesspeople,
\nthe media, students, social and religious organizations and
\nacademics -- on the occasion of the foreign ministry's 60th
\nanniversary on Aug. 19.<\/p>\n
Susilo said Indonesia's foreign policy was founded on four
\nprinciples: maintaining a constructive approach to diplomacy,
\nmaintaining the country's identity in the world, maintaining a
\nnationalistic attitude and avoiding military alliances with other
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"Our national interests include, how to rebuild Indonesia
\nafter the 1997 economic crisis? How to maintain national
\nsovereignty and regional integrity? And how to accomplish
\nnational reform successfully? These are the questions that should
\nbe kept in mind when making foreign policy.\"<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia should take more active role in regional and
\ninternational forums, like those of the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations, the East Asian Summit, the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation, the Organization of Islamic Conference and the
\nAsian-African Conference and the United Nations.<\/p>\n
\"We want to work with Pacific countries like Australia, New
\nZealand, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and many others. If
\nwe want to become the center of regional cooperation and
\nfriendship, we must not neglect these countries. They are
\nactually part of the solution,\" he said.<\/p>\n
While the world is governed by what he referred to as the
\n\"universal norms\" of capitalism, democracy, human rights, the
\nrule of law and environmental concerns, a \"new sovereignty\" in
\nwhich countries can intervene in the affairs of other countries
\non certain grounds like human rights, and a single superpower,
\nSusilo said Indonesia should understand but not necessarily adopt
\nall of these values.<\/p>\n
\"Speaking about Indonesia's free and independent foreign
\npolicy, we must have independent judgment and freedom of
\naction ... Not all countries can build a Great Wall like the
\nChinese to stop outside influences and values from entering the
\ncountry,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He stressed the importance of involving people from all walks
\nof life in formulating Indonesia's foreign policy. But he said
\nthat anyone involved in diplomacy should use their intellect
\nrather than emotion.<\/p>\n
\"We have to mix emotions with rationality. We all have hearts
\nbut we should also use rational thinking in situations where
\nIndonesia is cornered by others,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At the end of his speech, Susilo shared his own way of dealing
\nwith foreign leaders. He said he took the time to call the
\nleaders personally whenever a problem arose.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be visionary, but at the same time remain
\npractical. Sometimes, I call foreign leaders at midnight for a
\ndiscussion. When we had disagreements with Malaysia over Ambalat,
\ntheir handling of our migrant workers and now we have the haze
\nproblem, I took the time to call Abdullah Badawi (the Malaysian
\nprime minister). I also called (John) Howard (the Australian PM)
\nand Xanana (Gusmao, the Timor Leste president) on other issues.
\nMy point is, we need to be practical sometimes without worrying
\nabout losing face,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Also present at the event were several Cabinet ministers and
\nlegislators, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur
\nWahid, Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi and Indonesian
\nUlema Council secretary-general Din Syamsuddin.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-must-play-leading-global-role-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}